The present invention is directed to the field of erosion prevention. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a light weight, erosion prevention block which can be manufactured in a plurality of colors for enhanced versatility in landscaping.
Preventing water from carrying off soil is particularly of concern around lakes, ponds, streams, rivers and oceans. The construction of barriers may be as a part of a flood control effort or simply a retaining wall to prevent erosion caused by normal water flow. However, any place that soil is at risk to be carried off by runoff, such as on hillsides or where fresh dirt is placed as a part of a landscaping effort, erosion prevention of one sort or another should be employed.
Erosion prevention blocks have been developed as a means to restrict or eliminate soil removed by water flow. These blocks are typically made of cement in order to provide adequate mass to prevent their shifting. In addition, these blocks typically include some means to interlock adjacent blocks to restrict movement between them since movement could undermine the integrity of the retaining wall. Because of their mass (size and density), these blocks are difficult to handle and place. They also pose a threat to the workmen, risks of both muscle strain as well as damage due to impact. In some cases, the mass of the blocks require the use of a crane or other equipment to allow their manipulation and placement.
The erosion prevention block of the present invention overcomes these difficulties. The block itself is an L-shaped hollow container molded of a highly durable plastic (e.g., polyethylene) providing light weight so that it can easily be positioned by a workman. Each block has first and second means which interengage to connect adjacent blocks to form a retaining wall. Once in place, the blocks are bulked up by filling the hollow interior with whatever fill material is readily available including, but not limited to, rock, sand, soil, cement or, in certain instances, water. This can be accomplished by cutting an opening in a top portion of the block using a boring tool. The plug thus created is retained for subsequent use. The fill can be pumped into the L-shaped container and the plug reset using spin welding.
The lateral walls of the container are equipped with alternating ribs and grooves. The ribs provide structural rigidity against the fill which would otherwise cause the walls to belly out. The grooves provide runoff passageways for water flowing over the surfaces. Passageways on the base of the block provide openings for receiving rebar to enable the blocks to be anchored to a hillside, or the like. Vertically extending rebar anchors the first course of blocks to the supporting soil and may also be used to attach the first course to a second and/or subsequent course of blocks.
The first and second connecting means can take the form of a protrusion on a first end of the block and a complementary recess on the opposite end. A bar, which may take the form of a length of pvc pipe, extends vertically between an opening in the protrusion and an opening in the recess to maintain the blocks adjacent to one another. The blocks can be offset stacked to produce a terraced upper surface and soil, dirt or rocks used to backfill against the retaining wall. By laterally offsetting one course from the previous course of blocks, the seams are offset so as not to create a flow passage for water to create a continuous valley.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification.